This will be the last release from Rampage before the band takes a new direction into Black Metal, and is meant as a bookend on Rampage's previous works (thus the title).

The first thing you'll notice about this release is that it is separated into three parts: "The Abandoned Past", "The End of an Era", and "In Memoriam". The first section consists of old stuff written near the beginning on Rampage's history, and the second features the remains of the aborted "Doom Metal" album. The third section consists of cover songs.

As you might expect, this lends the release a lot of variety. The first section is old-school METAL, as the rest of Rampage's early catalog suggests. While this isn't my favorite style of music, I must admit that these songs are well written. Fans of early 80's metal will probably worship these tracks, and others will at least find them listenable.

The second section alone is worth the price of the disc. "Whitechapel" is one of the more interesting doomy songs I've heard, and "Cursed with Existence/Monolith" is just as good. It's fortunate that Vic has decided to release these, rather than allow them to fade into the past.

The third section has a few cover songs - some Sabbath, Mayhem's "Funeral Fog", and a band I'm not familiar with, Disjecta Membra. The covers aren't essential (are cover songs ever essential?) Still, they're a good way to close out the album.

This is quite an enjoyable album. The mix of different styles isn't too jarring, and each is well executed. All in all, an excellent buy - more than 70 minutes of high-quality metal, available for just $6 from the label (US postage-paid).

Standout tracks: "Whitechapel", "Cursed with Existence/Monolith"

© 2002 vorfeed